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Tim Hightower rushed two times for five yards in the Saints' Week 13 loss to the Lions, adding a four-yard reception.

With Mark Ingram battling a toe injury, today was set up to be a nice day for Hightower. Instead he completely disappeared as the Saints had the ball for only 23 minutes against the ball-control Lions. Confusingly, he was out-touched 5-3 by Travaris Cadet. Hightower is coach Sean Payton's teacher's pet, but he'll be a high-risk RB3 against the Bucs in Week 14. Dec 4 - 5:22 PM

Tim Hightower totaled 51 yards on 15 carries while adding two catches for 54 yards and a touchdown Sunday in the Saints' Week 12 win over the Rams.

Hightower didn’t run the ball effectively but salvaged the day for his fantasy owners by securing a 50-yard touchdown on a flea-flicker thrown by wide receiver Willie Snead. That marked the longest catch of Hightower’s career and his longest gain overall since 2010. Hightower, who out-touched Mark Ingram 17-16 on Sunday, has now gone over 100 yards from scrimmage in four of his last five games. He’ll find himself on the RB2/3 borderline next week against the Lions. Nov 27 - 4:38 PM

Hightower was in his typical rotation with Mark Ingram until Ingram departed early in the second half with a concussion. Hightower then took the game over, ripping up soft fronts and doing major damage on Drew Brees checkdowns. Ingram has 10 days to get cleared for Week 12, but Hightower will be a high-end RB2 against the Rams if Ingram is out. Even if Ingram does play, Hightower will have high-end RB3 appeal as the runner coach Sean Payton trusts most. Nov 17 - 11:59 PM

Tim Hightower rushed eight times for 21 yards in the Saints' Week 10 loss to the Broncos, adding two receptions for 34 additional yards.

Mark Ingram got the "start," but the duo remained in a committee. Ingram had a 13-10 touch edge, but it was a modest 63-55 in yards. Both players saw plenty of snaps. The timeshare is unlikely to go away for Thursday's short-week matchup with the Panthers' tough run defense. Hightower will be a low-upside RB3 for that one. Nov 13 - 5:21 PM

Depth Charts

Mark Ingram (toe, knee, questionable) returned to a limited practice on Friday.

That puts him on track to play Sunday against Tampa Bay. Ingram has had some big weeks recently, but his usage remains somewhat of a guessing game. Last week he was out-snapped by Travaris Cadet. Ingram will be a risky RB2 against a Bucs' defense that has performed much better recently.

Michael Thomas (foot) returned to Saints practice on Friday but is listed as questionable for Week 14 at Tampa Bay.

Thomas was "limited," meaning his only practice participation of the week was a "limited" workout in Friday's session. Still, it would be a surprise if he did not start Sunday at Tampa Bay. Thomas has emerged as the Saints' best wideout as rookie, leading the team in all receiving categories.

RotoGrinders.com Daily Slant: Thomas - in addition to Brandin Cooks - is squarely in play after a disappointing performance in Week 13. He's the safest option on the Saints side and his ceiling is in line with Cooks', not to mention that he'll have a nice draw against the much smaller Alterraun Verner (5'10 to Thomas' 6'3). Thomas has reeled in about 78% of his targets on the year, a great mark for someone who is also integral in the red-zone.

Snead has now been held below 40 yards in three straight games, and four of his past five. It's not true from a targets standpoint, but Snead has become a distant third behind Michael Thomas and Brandin Cooks on the production front. His WR3 case has disappeared.

Saints coach Sean Payton said 2015 first-rounder Andrus Peat could be moved to left guard.

The Saints planned to use Peat on the right side -- either at guard or tackle -- this season, but he has struggled at both positions. "He hasn't played very well over on that right side, so we've got to keep looking and pay close attention to it," Payton said. "I know what he can do well, and we've got to find a way to be at a high enough level inside. And I think we can get that done." The offensive line has struggled mightily in the preseason, and the guard spots are a big reason why. The Saints could look to add a veteran like newly-released OG Geoff Schwartz in the next couple days.